Emergency Management Program Guide

Submitted by mhart on
Program Title
Emergency Management
Major Information

College: Social Sciences & Public Policy
Degree: BS in Emergency management and Intelligence Studies
Specialized Admission: No

Contact: Chantelle Tuffigo
Address: 646 Bellamy Building, Tallahassee, FL 32306-2270
Phone: (850) 644-9961
Email: ctuffigo@em.fsu.edu

Description of Major

Students cannot begin enrolling in this major until Fall 2026. Also, please note: FSU is not yet authorized to enroll F-1 international students in the Bachelor's degree in either Emergency Management or Intelligence Studies. International students who need an F-1 visa, should NOT apply to these majors at this time.

*Face-to-face/in-person instruction of this program will be available ONLY at the main campus in Tallahassee, FL. However, it will be available via Online/Distance Learning to all FSU students; each starting in Fall 2026.*

The Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management and Intelligence Studies (EMIS) offers majors in Emergency Management or Intelligence Studies. The major in Emergency Management (EM) prepares students to become leaders in emergency management and homeland security. Students in this major will learn key principles of EM policy and planning, primarily through an analysis of real-world scenarios and problems. Students will also study the technical skills and tools required to manage the collection of disaster intelligence for effective response and recovery. Graduates of the major are equipped to design resilient systems, support vulnerable populations, and lead effective emergency operations in government, nonprofit, and private sectors. Upon graduation, students qualified for careers in the public and private fields of EM both domestically and internationally.

Prerequisite Coursework

Prerequisite Coursework: None

Note: State-wide common prerequisites are always under review. For the most current information and for acceptable alternative courses, visit the “Common Prerequisites Manual.” This is available from the “Student Services” section of http://www.flvc.org.

Requirements for Progression to the Upper-Division Major

To be admitted, students must complete at least 52 hours with a minimum FSU GPA of 2.00 and most of the General Education requirements met, including freshman English composition and mathematics, or an AA degree.

Requirements

Major Program of Studies at FSU: (40 hours)

To complete a major in Emergency Management, students must complete the 4 hours of core courses, 12 hours of Required Courses, 12 hours of Advanced Courses (which are all specific to the student’s major), and 12 hours of interdisciplinary Elective Courses from a predetermined list, for a total of 40 credit hours.

Core Courses (4 hours)

PAD 4074 Professional Pathways in Emergency Management (1)

<Prerequisite: PAD 4391 or PAD 4393 or instructor permission>

PAD 4391 Foundations of Emergency Management (3)

Required Courses (12 hours)

PAD 4372 Leadership and Communications (3) OR PAD 4395 Disaster Systems (3)

PAD 4382 Recovery and Mitigation (3)

PAD 4393 Emergency Management Programs, Planning, and Policy (3) 

DSC 4007 Homeland Security Policy and Practice (3)

Advanced Courses (12 hours)

PAD 3012 Mayhem Media (3)

PAD 4072 Application of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (3) < Pre- or co-requisite: PAD 4075>

PAD 4075 Unmanned Aircraft Systems in Emergency Management (3)

PAD 4084 International Terror Policy (3)

PAD 4301 Disaster Planning for Urban Poor Communities (3)

**PAD 4372 Leadership and Communications (3) 

PAD 4374 Introduction to Terrorism (3)

DSC 4375 Advanced Topics in Terrorism (3)  < Prerequisite: PAD 4374>

PAD 4380 Disasters: From Shock to Recovery (3)

**PAD 4395 Disaster Systems (3) 

PAD 4433 Women, Disasters, and Conflict (3)

DSC 4300 International Conflicts and Terrorism (3)

PAD 4833 International Comparative Disaster Management (3)

PAD 4841 Intelligence Analysis and Communication (3)

PAD 4842 US Intelligence Policy (3)

PAD 4843 US Intelligence Community (3)

DSC 4213 Public Health and Emergency Management (3)

PAD 4891 The Third Sector - Nonprofits, NGOs, and Disaster (3)

PAD 4897 Global Security and Fusion (3)

PAD 4940 Emergency Management and Homeland Security Internship (3)

DSC 4513 National Security in the Cyber Domain (3)

** This course CANNOT count as a Required Course and an Advanced Course.

Elective Courses (12 hours)

Special topics courses may be approved by the program director in any particular term. Elective courses must come from at least two different departments. 

AMH 4511 Twentieth Century US Foreign Relations

ARA 3/4XXX 3000 or 4000-level Arabic language course (must be taught in Arabic)

ASH 3236 History of Modern Turkey

ASH 4223 Modern Middle East

ASH 4261 Central Asia

ASH 4621 Islam and Pakistan

ASH 4931 Contemporary Asia: Flashpoints since 2000

CCJ 3484 Ethics in Policing and Intelligence

CCJ 4072 Crime Mapping and Analysis

CHI 3/4XXX 3000 or 4000-level Chinese language course (must be taught in Chinese)

CPO 3055 Authoritarian Regimes

CPO 3101 The European Union

CPO 3103 Comparative Gov and Politics in W. Europe 

CPO 3303 Politics of Latin America 

CPO 3403 Comparative Gov and Politics: The Middle East

CPO 3541 Politics of China

CPO 3615 Post-Soviet Politics

CPO 4504 Institutional Approaches to Democracies and Dictatorships 

GEA 4554 Russia and Southern Eurasia

GEA 4635 Geography of the Middle East

GEO 2200C Physical Geography

GEO 4162C Spatial Data Analysis

GEO 4251 Geography of Climate Change and Storms

GEO 4344 Environmental Disasters and Apocalypse

GEO 4357 Environmental Conflict and Economic Development

GIS 2040 Essentials of GIS

GIS 3015 Map Analysis

GIS 4035 Introduction to Remote Sensing

GIS 4043 Geographic Information Systems

IDS 3358w Making the Argument: Symbolic Logic and Forms of Good Reasoning

INR 3084 Terror and Politics

INR 3502 International Organizations

INR 4011 Political Responses to Economic Globalization

INR 4075 International Human Rights

INR 4078 Confronting Human Rights Violations

INR 4102 American Foreign Policy

INR 4334 American Defense Policy

INR 4702 Political Economy of International Relations

LAH 3411 History of Mexico, Central America, Caribbean

LAH 3480 History of Cuba

LAH 3500 History of South America

LAH 4748 Social Revolutionary Movements in Latin America

PAD 3013 Future Studies

PAD 4120 Managing FL Gov and its Key Policy Issues

PAD 4144 Managing the NGO

PAD 4170 NGOs in Development

PAD 4414 American Public Service

PAD 4432 Public Program Evaluation

PHI 2300 Introduction to Political Philosophy

PHI 2620 Environmental Ethics

POS 3211 State Politics

REL 2121 Religion in the US

REL 2315 Religions of South Asia

REL 2350 Religions of East Asia

REL 3138 Religious Intolerance in America

REL 3367 Islamic Traditions II: Islam up to the Modern World

REL 3370 Religion in Africa

REL 4393 Islam in North America

RUS/SLL 3/4XXX 3000 or 4000-level Russian language course (must be taught in Russian)

RUT 3505 Russian Culture and Civilization

URP 4314 Introduction to Growth Management and Comprehensive Planning

URP 4402 Sustainable Development Planning in the Americas

URP 4423 Introduction to Environmental Planning and Resource Management

NOTE: Students cannot complete the EMHS or US Intelligence certificates if they are also earning the EMIS degree. However, these students are still eligible to earn the UAS certificate. Courses that are part of the UAS certificate and the EMIS degree may “double count” without limitation.

Minor Coursework: (0 hours)

A minor is not required for this major.  

Digital Literacy: (3 hours)

CGS 2060 (3), CGS 2100 (3), or other University approved course.

Oral Communication Competency: (3 hours)

Students must demonstrate the ability to orally transmit ideas and information clearly. This requirement may be met through with an approved college-level course.

   Minimum Program Requirements - Summary Total Hrs. Required 120

General Education 36* Major Coursework 40*

Minor Coursework 0

Digital Literacy 3

Oral Competency 3

Electives to bring total hours to 120

 

*NOTE: Some Emergency Management courses may be applied to both General Education requirements and the major.

 

Mapping

Mapping is FSU’s academic advising and monitoring system. Academic progress is monitored each Fall and Spring semester to ensure that students are on course to earn their degree in a timely fashion. Transfer students must meet mapping guidelines to be accepted into their majors. You may view the map for this major at www.academic- guide.fsu.edu/.

Remarks
  1. A minimum of 45 hours at the 3000 level or above, 30 of which must be taken at this University.
  2. Half of the major course semester hours must be completed in residence at this University.
  3. The final 30 hours must be completed in residence at this University.
  4. Students who plan to earn the B. A. degree must complete a foreign language through the intermediate (2200 or equivalent) level and nine additional hours in the fields of history and humanities.
Employment Information

Salary Information: For more information go to: National Association of Colleges and Employers (www.naceweb.org) or the Occupational Outlook Handbook (www.bls.gov/ooh/home.htm) provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Representative Job Titles Related to this Major: Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, Emergency Management Coordinator, Operations Coordinator, Operations Supervisor, Program Manager, Grant Specialist, Disaster Recovery Specialist, Continuity of Operations Specialist, Administration and Finance Specialist, Contract Manager, Emergency Management Director, Bureau Chief, Logistics Specialist, Unit Supervisor, Planning Analyst

   Representative Employers: Federal Government (Federal Emergency Management Agency), State Emergency Management (Florida Division     of Emergency Management) Private Sector (KMPG, Hagerty Consulting, AC Disaster, Crowder Gulf), Non-governmental Organizations (Red         Cross, Educational Institutions).

Map General Information

ACADEMIC MAP (Effective Fall 2026 and after)

Students cannot begin enrolling in this major until Fall 2026. Also, please note: FSU is not yet authorized to enroll F-1 international students in the Bachelor's degree in either Emergency Management or Intelligence Studies. International students who need an F-1 visa, should NOT apply to these majors at this time.

   *Please Note: Face-to-face/in-person instruction of this program will be available ONLY at the main campus in Tallahassee, FL.                However, it will be available via Online/Distance Learning to all FSU students; each starting in Fall 2026.*

This map is a term-by-term sample course schedule. The milestones listed to the right of each term are designed to keep you on course to graduate in four years. The Sample Schedule serves as a general guideline to help you build a full schedule each term. The General Education and Elective courses must be selected to satisfy all area and diversity requirements unless your program meets these requirements with major courses.

Milestones are courses and special requirements necessary for timely progress to complete a major. Missing milestones will result in one of two types of map registration stops. The first level (Degree Map Off-track) is placed following grade posting if the student has missed a milestone (course and/or GPA) for the first time in the major. If a student is in non-compliance with milestones for two (2) consecutive semesters (excluding summers), a Major Change Required stop is placed on the student's registration.

To complete a major in Emergency Management, students must complete the 4 hours of core courses, 12 hours of Required Courses, 12 hours of Advanced Courses (which are all specific to the student’s major), and 12 hours of interdisciplinary Elective Courses from a predetermined list, for a total of 40 credit hours.

Mapping Coordinator: COSS Acad Affairs Off. 101 BEL

Email: COSS-Admissions-Mapping@fsu.edu

Sample Schedule

Sample Schedule and Required Milestones by Term

Sample Schedule: Term 1 hrs
ENC1101 Freshman Composition3
1st GE Core Mathematics3
GE History3
CGS2060 Computer Applications3
Elective3
Required Milestones: Term 1
Complete ENC1101 ( ≥ C minus )
Overall GPA 2.00 or higher
Sample Schedule: Term 2 hrs
ENC2135 Research, Genre, and Context 3
2nd GE Mathematics or Statistics3
GE Natural Science3
GE Core Social Science3
Elective3
Required Milestones: Term 2
Complete ENC2135 ( ≥ C minus )
Complete 1st GE Mathematics course ( ≥ C minus )
Overall GPA 2.00 or higher
Sample Schedule: Term 3 hrs
Oral Communication Competency3
GE Core Humanities/Cultural Practice3
GE Ethics3
EHE course3
Elective3
Required Milestones: Term 3
Complete 2nd GE Mathematics or Statistics Course ( ≥ C minus )
Overall GPA 2.00 or higher
Sample Schedule: Term 4 hrs
GE Humanities/Cultural Practice3
GE Social Science3
GE Core Natural Science with Lab4
Elective3
Elective3
Required Milestones: Term 4
Complete General Education requirements

Complete EHE Requirement (strongly recommended)

Overall GPA 2.00 or higher
Sample Schedule: Term 5 hrs
PAD4391 Foundations of Emergency Management or PAD4393 Emergency Management Programs, Planning, and Policy3
EM Required course3
EM Required course3
Elective3
Required Milestones: Term 5
Complete PAD4391 or PAD4393   ( ≥ C minus)
Civic Literacy requirement
Overall GPA 2.00 or higher
Sample Schedule: Term 6 hrs
PAD4391 Foundations of Emergency Management or PAD4393 Emergency Management Programs, Planning, and Policy3
PAD 4074 Professional Pathways in Emergency Management3
EM Required course3
EM Advanced course3
EM Elective course3
Required Milestones: Term 6
Complete both PAD4391 and PAD4393   ( ≥ C minus in each)
Complete PAD4074 ( ≥ C minus )
Complete three (3) Required Courses total (to include/one of which is  PAD4393) ( ≥ C minus in each )
Overall GPA 2.00 or higher
Sample Schedule: Term 7 hrs
EM Required course3
EM Advanced course3
EM Elective course3
Elective3
Elective3
Required Milestones: Term 7
Complete all 12 hours of Required Courses ( ≥ C minus in each)
Complete 6 hours of Advanced Courses  ( ≥ C minus in each)
Complete 6 hours of Elective Courses (from list) ( ≥ C minus in each)
Overall GPA 2.00 or higher
Sample Schedule: Term 8 hrs
EM Advanced course3
EM Advanced course3
EM Elective course3
Elective3
Elective3
Required Milestones: Term 8
Complete all 12 hours of Advanced Courses  ( ≥ C minus in each)
Complete all 12 hours of Elective Courses (from list) ( ≥ C minus in each)
Apply with Registrar for Graduation in the 1st two weeks
Overall GPA 2.00 or higher
Panama City
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Panama City Only
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Cluster Tags

Social Science & Public Policy, Law & Justice, Interdisciplinary Studies, Humanities & Liberal Arts, Global Area & Ethnic Studies